Ticket, contest it?

[mugs]

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy
I'm just making sure that you know that everything I have said is the truth and everything I will say is the truth. I wrote everything down when I got home so everything was still fresh in my head. I have repeated the same story 3 times to 3 different people.

1. Post the pictures that you mentioned earlier.
2. I think this is a case of a cop mistakingly assuming you had common sense. He was probably directing you to drive past the flares, not through them.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

If I contest it and I lose, I can't take traffic school?

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy
I'm just making sure that you know that everything I have said is the truth and everything I will say is the truth. I wrote everything down when I got home so everything was still fresh in my head. I have repeated the same story 3 times to 3 different people.

1. Post the pictures that you mentioned earlier.
2. I think this is a case of a cop mistakingly assuming you had common sense. He was probably directing you to drive past the flares, not through them.

1. How do I post a Word document? Because it is all in there, with references and stuff.
2. I do have common sense, but he was gesturing with his hand to go in the general direction of continuing on the highway.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy
If I contest it and I lose, I can't take traffic school?

You haven't told us where you live, and it's not in your profile. What are you expecting here, clairvoyance?

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy
1. How do I post a Word document? Because it is all in there, with references and stuff.
2. I do have common sense, but he was gesturing with his hand to go in the general direction of continuing on the highway.

1. Put the pictures on pics.bbzzdd.com.
2. You drove through flares...

 

[Linux23]

It was a Flare Sting. Happens all the time.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/ChAoTiCpInOy89/Ticket1.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/C...iCpInOy89/Ticket12.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/C...y89/Ticket1Zoomed2.JPG

I was driving on westbound Highway 1 between Cuesta College and Los Osos Baywood Park Exit, which was my exit. As I was ~1.5 miles away from my exit, I saw the red flares in the roadway. As I was approaching, I slowed down to a crawl and soon stopped (see Figure 1 and 2). I looked at the officer who was directing me with his arm stretched out to continue through. I then slowly approached the flares and slowed to stop again to see if I was doing something wrong, but no one stopped and I continued at ~10 mph. About 50 yards later, a person, who was on the side of the road signaled in the same direction with his arm. Then, I was pulled over (see Figure 3) and told that I would be getting a ticket for ?Traversing Flare Pattern? VC: 2818. I explained to the police officer that the police officer in the beginning, signaled me through with his arm.

This happened in San Luis Obispo County.

 

[everman]

Sure you can dispute it if it's worth your time. The best thing you can do is be quick and concise, have everything well-prepared and don't ramble on wasting time. Judges are generally intelligent and reasonable, I'd say you have a chance.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

Originally posted by: everman
Sure you can dispute it if it's worth your time. The best thing you can do is be quick and concise, have everything well-prepared and don't ramble on wasting time. Judges are generally intelligent and reasonable, I'd say you have a chance.

Thanks. The post that you just read is pretty much everything I am going to be sending to contest it.

 

[mugs]

The red dots are locations of flares?

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

Originally posted by: mugs
The red dots are locations of flares?

That is correct.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy

Originally posted by: mugs
The red dots are locations of flares?

That is correct.

Well, you made an honest mistake. A stupid one, but obviously a mistake. Your goal should be to avoid taking a hit on your insurance; the fine is nothing compared to the insurance surcharges. How you'd go about this depends on your state. Some states offered deferred judgment - pay the fine, don't get any more tickets for a certain amount of time and it doesn't get reported to insurance. Some states offer traffic school to avoid points. Some states allow you to plead guilty to a non-point violation - at a higher cost, but still less than the insurance surcharges. We don't know where you live, so it's hard to give you advice.

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy
So there were flares, and like I slowed down and I looked at the officer and he pointed in the general direction of keep going straight. So I did, slowly through the flares, and then I passed some other guy and he looked like he was pointing to keep going straight.

Who in their right mind would think that you are supposed to drive through flares?

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy
So there were flares, and like I slowed down and I looked at the officer and he pointed in the general direction of keep going straight. So I did, slowly through the flares, and then I passed some other guy and he looked like he was pointing to keep going straight.

Who in their right mind would think that you are supposed to drive through flares?

Someone who thought that police officer waved him through.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

Any more help?

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy
Any more help?

You still haven't told us where you live, but through the magic of the intertubes I have determined that it is California. If you go into court, show the judge a picture of a pattern of flares that are clearly intended to force you to cross over the highway and turn around, and you tell him that you thought despite this that the cop told you to go straight, he's going to have a hard time not laughing at you. I believe you that you honestly thought that, but it doesn't change the fact that it it makes no sense. So unless the judge is an exceptionally nice guy, I don't think you'd win. There's no dispute that you did what you were accused of.

Like I said above, your goal should be to avoid the insurance surcharges. In California I think traffic school is the way most people do that.

 

[ultimatebob]

Did you already request a date change for the court appearance? That's the best way to get out of a ticket. Reschedule the trial to a day when the cop who gave you the ticket can't come in to testify. No cop = You win!

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
Did you already request a date change for the court appearance? That's the best way to get out of a ticket. Reschedule the trial to a day when the cop who gave you the ticket can't come in to testify. No cop = You win!

3hr minimum call-in here. 30min of court on a day off? 3 hours pay.